Am i pedantic?

[carn]

(Note i am german, but i ask here, because i do not know, where else to get a quick and yet reliable answer. )

When i was in mass yesterday, during the intercession prayers there was one asking for Gods blessing/help for those, who try to protect the “werdendes Leben” and encouraging yound couples to say “Yes” to children. Not much to complain about, they need every blessing they can get, considering the abortion statistics.

The issue i have is that the term “werdendes Leben” (best translated with “becoming life” or “maturing life”, so something which will be but is not yet living) used is wrong (even a lie in my eyes).
After all, either the “thing” in the womb is alive or it isnt. There is no in between state. So God was effictively asked to bless those trying to protect something, which does not and cannot exists. Thats at least strange.

Furthermore the term is employed often by those favouring abortion, they effictively argue, that although the embryo is human, he is not yet a real human, he is just a “werdendes Leben” or “werdender Mensch” (“becoming human”) and therefore killing him is not that severe.

Catechism is rather clear, vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7Z.HTM,
"Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.

Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo … " the embryo is a person and its life must be respected. Therefore saying embryo is somehow not yet alive is contrary to the catechism. (Also in german, so no translation issue.)

When after mass i asked, i was told, that the Priest does not choose the text himself, but that he receives it from higher ups.

Furthermore i realized by searching, that the term is even sometimes used by some Bishops, so it was no accidental slip.

Am i pendantic, if i complain about the useage a wrong term, which was invented by groups favoring abortion, in Church?

To whom should i complain?

Thanks for your answers.

 

[St_Francis]

Could *werdendes *also mean developing? Here in the US, the supporters of abortion say potential life, and we say developing. Your description of *werdendes *sounds like it could go either way, but I may be wrong.

You could talk to your priest about it as he is probably better at German than most of us

 

[Actaeon]

(Note i am german, but i ask here, because i do not know, where else to get a quick and yet reliable answer. )

When i was in mass yesterday, during the intercession prayers there was one asking for Gods blessing/help for those, who try to protect the “werdendes Leben” and encouraging yound couples to say “Yes” to children. Not much to complain about, they need every blessing they can get, considering the abortion statistics.

The issue i have is that the term “werdendes Leben” (best translated with “becoming life” or “maturing life”, so something which will be but is not yet living) used is wrong (even a lie in my eyes).
After all, either the “thing” in the womb is alive or it isnt. There is no in between state. So God was effictively asked to bless those trying to protect something, which does not and cannot exists. Thats at least strange.

Furthermore the term is employed often by those favouring abortion, they effictively argue, that although the embryo is human, he is not yet a real human, he is just a “werdendes Leben” or “werdender Mensch” (“becoming human”) and therefore killing him is not that severe.

Catechism is rather clear, vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7Z.HTM,
"Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.

Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo … " the embryo is a person and its life must be respected. Therefore saying embryo is somehow not yet alive is contrary to the catechism. (Also in german, so no translation issue.)

When after mass i asked, i was told, that the Priest does not choose the text himself, but that he receives it from higher ups.

Furthermore i realized by searching, that the term is even sometimes used by some Bishops, so it was no accidental slip.

Am i pendantic, if i complain about the useage a wrong term, which was invented by groups favoring abortion, in Church?

To whom should i complain?

Thanks for your answers.

Could it have been used in the context of some sarcasm? There’s a big difference between saying “God, please protect those who are becoming human from abortion” and saying “God please protect those who are “becoming human” from abortion”… the first implies that the fetus is not alive, and the second implies that the claim that the fetus is not alive is a farce…

 

[johnnykins]

(Note i am german, but i ask here, because i do not know, where else to get a quick and yet reliable answer. )

When i was in mass yesterday, during the intercession prayers there was one asking for Gods blessing/help for those, who try to protect the “werdendes Leben” and encouraging yound couples to say “Yes” to children. Not much to complain about, they need every blessing they can get, considering the abortion statistics.

The issue i have is that the term “werdendes Leben” (best translated with “becoming life” or “maturing life”, so something which will be but is not yet living) used is wrong (even a lie in my eyes).
After all, either the “thing” in the womb is alive or it isnt. There is no in between state. So God was effictively asked to bless those trying to protect something, which does not and cannot exists. Thats at least strange.

Furthermore the term is employed often by those favouring abortion, they effictively argue, that although the embryo is human, he is not yet a real human, he is just a “werdendes Leben” or “werdender Mensch” (“becoming human”) and therefore killing him is not that severe.

Catechism is rather clear, vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7Z.HTM,
"Since it must be treated from conception as a person, the embryo must be defended in its integrity, cared for, and healed, as far as possible, like any other human being.

Prenatal diagnosis is morally licit, "if it respects the life and integrity of the embryo … " the embryo is a person and its life must be respected. Therefore saying embryo is somehow not yet alive is contrary to the catechism. (Also in german, so no translation issue.)

When after mass i asked, i was told, that the Priest does not choose the text himself, but that he receives it from higher ups.

Furthermore i realized by searching, that the term is even sometimes used by some Bishops, so it was no accidental slip.

Am i pendantic, if i complain about the useage a wrong term, which was invented by groups favoring abortion, in Church?

To whom should i complain?

Thanks for your answers.

Can’t really tell since i don’t know German well enough. I will say that we are all “developing” and “maturing” until death. Maybe there is a nuance in German that is not quite there in English? Zygote to blastoceol to fetus to infant to toddler to child to adolescent to adult to geezer (As I enter “geezerhood” I’ve grown to like the word) and other stages I’ve missed - are just that: developmental stages in the life of a particular person.

If I were you I’d ask a German speaking priest or Bishop…there are a couple pretty good sources for that in Rome who might be interested though I understand they are very busy.

 

[benjohnson]

I would tell you that the intercessions serve two purposes:

1. As a prayer to God. Even if the term isn’t quite correct, God understands what was meant by this heartfelt prayer.
2. As a reminder to the people in the pews to open their hearts to God. Perhaps even though the term is not as precise as it should be, it may be that this well-used term speaks to those who need to hear the message.

As a Lutheran, I implore you to be thankful that your Catholic church remembers these children of God in the intercessions. My church would be better if it learned this.

God bless you!

 

[bearer]

In English, “werdendes Leben” would be “nascent life”. In other words, life that was just formed, or that is just beginning to develop.

A prayer such as you’ve described is correct and in line with the teachings of the church. Hope the translation helps.